Partners & Friends
by SquibblySpittman
Summary: (The First Squibler-VixenRaign Collaberation) Takes place durring The End of "Revalations" Season Three, and Diverges from there. Buffy and Faith; Trust Issues.


Rating: PG-13 (I dunno why; just seems like it would be).  
Disclaimers: Joss and the Mutants own them; I just like to play with their emotions.  
Dedication: To Danny, and a girl that I doubt even knows that I exist, but . . . I think I love you.  
Spoilers: Takes place very near the end of 'Revelations' and then diverges.  
Sequel: Want one? Ask for it. I'll need to be convince through feed-back-bribery.  
Author's Note: Thanks To VixenRaign; our first collaboration! Mazle- Tov or . . . whatever  
  
Faith groaned, and Buffy quickly rushed over, placing an arm under the injured Slayer's. As she gently lifted her off her injured foot Faith looked away, her face and emotions a mix of shame and anger. Quickly shoving down her feelings, the brunette looked over the slightly worse for wear group. Willow looked severely shaken, Xander was limping ever so slightly, and Angel - Faith had to admit - looked hansom; even if he was shaking a little.  
  
She could tell why her blonde counter-part had fallen for him; he was one tall glass of water - that was for sure. As Xander and Willow started walking out the door, Angel looked over at the Slayers. Opening his mouth to say something Buffy just nodded and smiled sadly. Angel closed his mouth and nodded as well looking down at his feet briefly.  
  
"We'll talk tomorrow." Buffy said both quietly and shortly. Angle simply nodded again, looking rather foolish in Faith's opinion, and smiled sadly back at her. Before either of the brunettes could react, Buffy swung Faith into her arms completely and started walking out of the mansion as well. "Come on," Buffy whispered to her, "Let's get you home." Faith smiled slightly at that; she couldn't help it. She felt like the damsel in distress, something she'd never let herself be, and yet . . . when it was Buffy carrying her out of battle victoriously, she didn't mind at all.  
  
Once the two girls had reached the Brunette's hotel and Buffy had opened it, she gently lay Faith upon her slightly lumpy and rather unkempt bed. Faith simply laid back and watched the blonde take off her Steel-toe Docs. The smaller girl then removed her socks, and smirked, gently tickling the younger girl's arch. Faith giggled and her foot twitched. She shot a glare at the blonde, who then stopped, though the smirk remained. Sitting down on the bed a bit nearer to Faith, Buffy sighed.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you that you're dangerously Jealous?" Buffy said almost affectionately, her voice a near whisper. Her Smirk never faded, and Faith believed it was that reason alone that kept her from yelling.  
  
"Jealous?" Faith asked, feigning ignorance, "Of what? That shiner you got going on?" Buffy suddenly paled and touched her eye. As soon as she touched the tender flesh though, her smiled returned.  
  
"Nice right hook you got there." She said quietly. Faith smiled; praise from Buffy always did that, it was something she learned not to fight anymore. Faith simply shrugged, her way of saying 'I know', and crossed her legs. "That's not what I mean Faith, and you know it." Buffy said so quietly, even Faith had trouble hearing it. But she did, and when it registered she looked away. Running a gentle hand over the surprisingly soft brown locks, Buffy sighed.  
  
"Faith." Buffy said quietly. Faith still wouldn't look at her. "Faith, please?" Buffy asked, voice dropping more.  
  
"He saw you, B." the brunette answered to the wall, "The X-Man saw you. He said you were making out with that Vamp, B." her voice was cold. Slowly, she turned to look back at the blonde, who's smirk was now gone. "I saw him tonight, and I believe you; he has a soul. He saved Willow, and he figured things out about Post a lot faster than the rest of us." Faith sighed, "But why didn't you tell me?" The pain in the younger girl's voice was so intense Buffy felt her heart stop for a second.  
  
"Faith, things are different now."  
  
"Different how?!" Faith yelled from her vantage point on the bed, "I spilled my guts to you B! I learned my lesson about keeping secrets after Kakistos, and I thought you did too." Faith sighed exasperatedly and fidgeted slightly. "I trusted you. I told you stuff; more then I told my watcher even, shit they probably don't even have in my files." She was mad, but she wasn't yelling anymore. "I thought you were being honest with me, and now I find out the whole time was just a lie. How am I supposed to go into battle, thinking you've got my back, when the whole time you could be lying? How do I trust you now?" she sounded so sad. Buffy wanted to cry, but she wouldn't let her self. She knew that Faith didn't trust people, and the fact that she betrayed that trust was going to be a big issue.  
  
"Faith?" Buffy asked quietly, "Have you ever been so afraid of something new that you try and relive the past?" Buffy asked slowly. Faith looked confused. "Like, when you started middle school, did you get scared that maybe it was gonna be hard so you tried to do stuff you did when you were still in Lower-school?" Faith paused for a second, but then nodded. Buffy scooted closer, and took one of Faith's slightly bruised hands into her own. For a long time neither said anything, and Faith couldn't take her eyes off of Buffy's slightly pouted lip and marred brow. Whatever the blonde was thinking about; it was intense.  
  
"I've never had a partner before, Faith." Buffy said suddenly, eyes still fixed on Faith's hand held gently in her own. "Angel was my boy-friend, and then my mortal enemy, but never my partner. He would do his own sweeps and patrols; this way we could cover more ground. He would come along with me sometimes, but not very often." Buffy sighed, and now grasped Faith hand with both of hers. "I love having you as a partner, and I love having you as a friend, But if you can't trust me . . . then maybe we shouldn't be either." Faith's heart really did stop when those words rang in her ears. All the air had been sucked out of the room and her lungs couldn't think to breath.  
  
"What?" Faith whispered. Buffy finally looked up at her, and the brunette saw that Buffy had tears in her eyes. "Buffy, I do trust you." Faith said solidly. Buffy nodded, and reached up to wipe her tears away before they fell. "B, I trust you more than anyone, you know that."  
  
"Then you must have known that I wouldn't have Kissed Angel if he was a killer." She said gently. Faith turned away sharply, the pain of hearing Buffy speak of the deed with her own voice hurting her far more than she expected. Not only that, but the resonance that she was right. Faith had known; Xander's support merely being a means to an end. She felt a soft hand on her cheek, and turned to look at the sad blonde. "Your jealously nearly cost Angel his life tonight, Faith." Buffy said seriously, though with a hint of kindness. Smoothing the hair over once more, she smiled slightly. "No partner of mine will ever be a killer." She said conclusively, with such confidence it made Faith smile.  
  
"Then I'm your girl." Faith said with a gentleness that surprised herself, though Buffy was unphased. Smiling she reached down and planted a soft but lingering kiss on the younger girl's forehead. As she pulled back she smiled lightly, and got up. Straightening her coat slightly, she walked to the door. As she stepped out she smiled at Faith and waved her goodnight. Faith smiled back, her trademark smirk in place. "Hey B!" Faith called quickly, just in time to catch the blonde before the door closed. "You have nothing to be afraid of in me." Buffy smiled, and nodded. Closing the door, Faith was left alone again, though it wasn't as bad as before.  
  
"Partners." She said to herself, reaching over to switch off the light, "I think I can live with that."  
  
.  
  
~The End~  
  
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